How life has changed in Lincoln

Lincoln's population increased by about 7,900 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population reached nearly 94,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Lincoln increased by 9.3%, from just under 85,600 to 93,500.

The addition of about 7,900 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Lincoln was home to, on average, 19 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the East Midlands

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the East Midlands, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

A younger Lincoln

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Lincoln decreased by one year, from 35 to 34 years.

This area had the third-lowest average age in the East Midlands and remained younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of just under 5,600 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 1,000.

About 20.0% of people in Lincoln are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East Midlands and Lincoln by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Lincoln

Lincoln saw England's largest rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership.

In 2011, just over 4 in 10 (44.0%) people aged 16 and over in Lincoln said they were single, compared with 34.4% in 2001. The percentage that said they were married decreased from 44.4% to 36.6%.

Newcastle upon Tyne saw England's next largest rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership (from 38.1% to 46.5%).

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership in Lincoln increased by 9.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over in Lincoln, the East Midlands and England that said they were single, March 2001 and March 2011

More students

Lincoln saw England's second-largest rise in the proportion of students.

During this period, Lincoln overtook 21 local authority areas, including Nottingham and Charnwood, to become the English local authority area with the fourth-highest percentage of students.

In 2011, just under 1 in 14 (7.0%) people aged 16 to 74 in Lincoln said they were in education, compared with 3.7% in 2001. The percentage that were employed remained close to 50.9%.

England's largest increase in the proportion of students occurred in Newham (from 4.3% to 8.4%).

The percentage of students in Lincoln increased by 3.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Lincoln, the East Midlands and England that said they were in education, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Lincoln

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Lincoln was among those who said they had no religion, rising 16.7 points.

In 2011, 35.1% of respondents in Lincoln gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 18.4% of those who answered in 2001.

Across the East Midlands, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion and described themselves as having no religion increased from 16.8% to 29.2%, while across England the percentage went from 15.7% to 26.5%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Lincoln, 62.5% said they were Christian, compared with 80.3% in 2001. About 1.0% said they were Muslim, compared with 0.5% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who disclosed a religious affiliation and said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism increased from 0.3% to 0.6%.

In Lincoln, 7.1% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 8.0% in 2001. Across the East Midlands, 6.8% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001. Across England, 7.2% of people did not answer, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

The population that said they had no religion in Lincoln increased by 17 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, East Midlands and Lincoln by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Lincoln that rented privately increased from 11.3% to 21.0% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in five (21.9%) households lived in social housing, compared with 22.7% in 2001. The percentage of Lincoln households that owned their home decreased from 62.6% to 55.1%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased faster here than the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 8.5% in 2001 to 14.9% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 16.9%.

Private renting in Lincoln increased by 9.6 percentage points

Percentage of households in Lincoln, the East Midlands and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Changing household dynamics

The percentage of households in Lincoln, which comprised a single parent, increased from 10.4% to 10.7% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over one in four (27.0%) households had a married couple, compared with 31.2% in 2001. The percentage of households in Lincoln, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 10.2% to 12.6%.

The proportion of single-parent households increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 8.8% in 2001 to 9.8% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.5% to 10.7%.

The percentage of households with a single-parent was higher than across the East Midlands

Percentage of households that had a single parent across local authority areas in the East Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Disability in Lincoln

The percentage of Lincoln residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.2% to 3.9% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

The percentage who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 6.0%, while the percentage of Lincoln residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 90.9% to 90.4%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 3.4% in 2001 to 4.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across the East Midlands

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the East Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Lincoln residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 9.3% to 5.3% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (80.8%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67.2% in 2001. The percentage of Lincoln residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23.5% to 13.9%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 9.4% in 2001 to 5.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Lincoln decreased by 4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Lincoln, the East Midlands and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More homes without children

The percentage of households without children increased in Lincoln at a faster rate than across England.

In Lincoln, the proportion of households without children increased from 64.3% in 2001 to 66.6% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 61.1% to 61.2%.

Across the East Midlands, the share of households without children increased from 61.3% to 62.1%.

The proportion of households with children in Lincoln fell from 28.1% to 25.6%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents increased from 7.6% to 7.8%.

The proportion of households without children was higher than across the East Midlands

Percentage of households without children across local authority areas in the East Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Ethnicity in Lincoln

In 2011, 95.6% of Lincoln residents said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, making it the most common ethnicity in this local authority area. The population from these groups has increased from 97.8% in 2001.

Across the East Midlands, the percentage of people from one of the White ethnic groups fell from 93.2% to 88.9%, while across England the percentage went from 90.7% to 85.1%.

Around 1.9% of people in Lincoln said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, compared with 1.1% in 2001. About 1.3% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 0.7% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from 0.3% to 0.8%.

The population from one of the White ethnic groups in Lincoln decreased by 2.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East Midlands and Lincoln by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

More people worked short hours

The percentage of employed people in Lincoln working less than 16 hours increased from 2.1% to 3.9% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just over 1 in 12 (8.4%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 12.0% in 2001.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 1.8% in 2001 to 3.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.9% to 3.1%.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Lincoln increased by 1.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Lincoln, the East Midlands and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

The percentage of Lincoln residents that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 2.1% to 2.6% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The percentage who reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.0%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the East Midlands (from 2.2% in 2001 to 2.6% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 2.1% to 2.4%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Lincoln remained close to 2.6%

Percentage of usual residents in England, East Midlands and Lincoln by care, March 2001 and March 2011

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